It's A Spy World, After All
by chalantness
Summary: A thought occurred to me. Any normal person in the real world who knew people were out to get them would run for cover. But then I realized my world wasn't part of the real world. It's a spy world, after all.


**Title:** It's A Spy World After All

**Chapters:** one

**Rating:** T for a few swear words

**Series:** _Gallagher Girls Series_

**Characters/Couplings:** Cammie/Zack, with a little of Bex/Grant, Liz/Jonas, Macey/Nick_(my OC),_ Joe/Rachel

**Comments:** I couldn't find Grant and Jonas's last names because I don't think Ally Carter ever mentioned them so I just sort of used common surnames.

**Summary:** Cammie POV. A thought occurred to me. Any normal person in the real world who _knew_ people were out to get them would run for cover. But then I realized my world wasn't part of the real world. It's a spy world, after all. Mainly Cammie/Zach.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the _Gallagher Girls Series_, nor am I making a profit from this fanfic.

* * *

**Zach POV**

_Cammie laid there, semi-conscious, on the rooftop. She was disoriented and writhing in pain. Blood from a gash she'd received from an armed attacker was oozing around her, staining the formal black dress she had worn for the evening. Her face was twisted in pain, but she didn't cry or scream. She only whimpered and gasped, breathing heavily. I quickly looked up, seeing as our fellow agents—our friends and closest allies—fought off some odd number of opponents who all had the same goal they had years ago when we were all juniors: get _her. _My jaw locked, unable to keep my own personal fury from flaring dangerously. _

_Why wasn't I out there fighting to the end with everyone else to punish those who did this to her?_

_A high-pitched shriek of pain grabbed my attention and I looked back to see Cammie's jaw also clenched tightly, preventing herself from screaming again. My hand found hers and she gripped it furiously. I ignored how tight her grip was. I wonder if she knew it was me who was at her side. Could she even remember what was going on? Did she only feel pain and see black nothingness?_

_Another shriek shattered the air, this time from behind. I saw from the corner of my eye as Liz crumpled to the ground, blood trickling down a newly formed slit. Jonas hissed angrily at her attacker and kneed him in the place men do not want to be kneed. He hit a pressure point, knocking him unconscious, before tossing him off the roof and rushing back to Liz's side._

"_Liz!" Cammie managed to say in agony through clenched teeth._

_For less than half a second I was caught off-guard. She could still identify the sounds around her even when she was in so much pain?_

_She had begun to get up, and before I could react, I heard Mr. Solomon shout angrily, "Pin her down _now_, Zach, and keep her _down_!" as he knocked a guy out cold._

"_Cammie!" I snapped and something made her stop. She had recognized my voice, I was positive. But before I was certain, she arched her back and her mouth opened wide. Only, like all the other times she should've been screaming in pain, she only let out a strained cry and a whimper as she crumpled back. I moved myself in a crawling position over, my hands pinning her shoulders down. She weakly tried to break free—to go help her friends—but I held her in place._

"…_off!" she breathed._

_I narrowed my eyes. "Cammie! Listen to the sound of my voice," I told her clearly and sternly._

_Somewhere elsewhere on the building's rooftop, there was a shattering blast followed by Bex screaming, "Grant!" with all her might and I heard bones break as she punched or kicked the shooter._

"_Cammie, this is Zach!" I told her and she stopped struggling. "No one's going to hurt you anymore. Just stop moving!"_

_But she didn't seem to be paying attention. She had been tightly shutting her eyes, but now they loosened as if she were in some sort of peaceful sleep. Despite everything, her face became wary. Her head tilted upward so that she would've been staring straight at me if her eyes were open. "Zach?" she breathed. Her hand searched for something, but then I realized it was me._

_I took her hand back in mine and stroked the back of it soothingly with my thumb._

_In an unknown part in the battle, I heard the sound of glass breaking and shards clattering everywhere followed by Macey's shriek._

_She stirred a little, but I stopped her. "It's me, Cammie," I reassured her over and over again. "You're safe. I won't let anyone lay a finger on you."_

"_Zach…" she repeated, still breathless. She gripped my hand back tightly, determined to not let go of it. Of me._

_Suddenly, Headmistress Morgan, Mr. Solomon, and Abby Cameron, as well as some faces I recognized from the Gallagher Academy and Blackthorne Institute faculty and staff were with us as I climbed off her. The teachers surrounded the five of us in a protective barrier. I still held her hand, because she was had begun to move anxiously when she felt my presence leave her. Headmistress Morgan knelt over her, cupping her daughter's hands in her face. The three looked just as agonized, furious, and sorrowful as I had when I first reached Cammie. "Zach, take Cammie away from here," her mother told me fiercely, her eyes locked on her daughter, who was tossing in pain again. "Take Cammie and go as far as you possibly can from here. We'll get you two safely away from here but take her and don't stop running."_

_Then her eyes finally left her daughter's face and locked with mine, her stare intense and dead serious. Inwardly I flinched at the 'dead' part._

_I nodded. "I'll do anything for Cammie," I reassured her._

"_Prove it, boy," Abby said to me in an almost threatening voice that was barely above a whisper. "Any harm comes to my niece and you are dead."_

_I nodded again and then stared at her with matched intensity to prove that I would do everything I could to make sure no one else touched her._

"_You're the only one we can trust her with," Mr. Solomon added. I had never seen him so twisted with emotion ever before._

_As I scooped her up into my arms, she winced in pain and clenched her jaw to fight back a shriek. Her arms looped around my neck and locked their tightly, her head pressed into my shoulder as she trembled. "Zach," she breathed again. But then she stopped moving completely. Her breathing was soft and still jagged. She was perfectly still, and I was pretty sure all of our hearts sank._

"_Cammie," I said, shaking her ever so slightly in my arms. Terror and alarm replaced the atmosphere._

_Headmistress Morgan cupped her daughter's face again. "Cammie! Cammie, Cammie, Cammie!"_

_Abby and Mr. Solomon echoed her desperate cries._

_Despite the current situation, I heard the sound of Liz, Jonas, Bex, Grant, and Macey gasp and shout Cammie's name._

_But she remained perfectly still, suddenly relaxed. She looked as peaceful as a person who lay in a coffin. "Cammie!" I shouted. I _will not_ think of that! What had happened to her? She was fighting to stay awake, but when I began speaking to her she calmed down. The minute I'm off of her, she grips my hand tighter. And now that she's in my arms and is aware of it, she stopped fighting it. It was as if…_

_It was as if dying in my arms was exactly what she was waiting for._

* * *

**Cammie POV**

_Intense pain… I remembered that with such clarity it was almost scary. Pain was everywhere, especially in my side. I could feel cuts all over me whenever I moved. There was a tense stinging in my shoulder, and I faintly recall the sound of a gunshot before the pain had suddenly appeared. But I remembered Zach—his voice, his warmth, his touch. I could picture him perfectly in my mind and exactly what he'd look like if only I could open my eyes. He was soothing me. It was a blur after, but I remember being lifted gently but securely. I wrapped my arms around the neck of whoever it was. But I knew it was Zach because of his scent. It was so addictive to me that I could recognize it even when I was disoriented. I lay my head on his broad, more muscular shoulders and finally felt relaxed._

_As long as I was with him, I could die blissfully happy._

_His words rang in my mind. They were agonized, terrified, furious, tender, and so loving all at once._

"_Cammie! Oh, God, Cammie? Please don't do this to us. Don't do this, Cammie—don't leave. Don't give up. Cammie! Oh god, Cammie, I need you! Stay here with me. Stay alive. Dear God, Cammie, I love you!"_

_And suddenly, my subconscious was struggling to stay alive._

_I could remember him continue his cries of "Cammie" and "I love you," but the sound of other people screaming my name could be heard with his. One sounded like my mother, another sounded like Mr. Solomon, and a third sounded like Aunt Abby. Those sounded the closest, other than Zach's. In the distance, I heard more screaming. "Cammie! Keep fighting! Don't give up!" Liz? Bex? Macey? Their voices were mixed in with the cries. They were the most pronounced voices that weren't right there with me. But I remember Jonas and Grant's voices, too._

_The next thing I remember was a hospital room. I recognized the way the light felt overhead, the sound of beeping monitors and nurses and doctors as they came in and out, the feel of the soft hospital bed and sheets. And I could also feel the soreness of the gashes and cuts underneath the bandaging._

_I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the sudden light. I had been expecting it, but it was a bit brighter than I had thought._

_My eyes shifted immediately when I heard the faintest of sounds, and Zach was standing in front of the chair he had most likely been sitting in. For once, I didn't see Zach angry, or teasing, or putting up walls, or anything. I saw Zach—the same one who had kissed me several times, came to my rescue on countless occasions, and was calling my name and staying forever at my side._

_It was the same Zach who yelled the agonized cry for the world to hear. 'Dear God, Cammie, I love you.'_

_I blushed at that, and Zach must've interpreted it. He looked jumpy and fidgety and alert._

"_You alright?" he asked._

_I nodded._

_Zach had told me that he loved me. He cried out that he loved me, and needed me. He cried out and demanded and I stay with him, that I continue to struggle to stay alive, and stay with him. He must have truly, deeply, sincerely meant it from the bottom of his heart because I was perfectly sure now that Mom, Mr. Solomon, and Aunt Abby were right there with them. And I didn't sense doubt in his words. Just the truth._

_I remembered my thoughts from before; about dying blissfully happy as long as I was in Zach's arms… Well, that was totally true._

_But it wasn't enough._

_Blissfully happy wasn't enough for me. I wanted eternally happy, and for me to have that, I needed to be alive and with Zach and in love._

_I nodded again, more to myself, making my decision. Whether or not this was a cover or a legend or the real him, Zach needed to hear how I felt._

_Smiling, I said, "Come here, Zach." His eyes were still alert and wide, but he obliged to my words almost instantly with zero hesitation. He stood at my side, hover over me. I looked up at his face, and I guess something inside him clicked. He must've seen something in my eyes or sensed something about how I felt, because he relaxed more, making this ten times easier._

_I lifted my hand, and surprisingly felt nothing but faint soreness. I rested my hand on the back of his neck and he looked at me with confusion as I guided his head closer to mine. He got down on his knees, bending over more so I could continue to guide him. When his face was only a few inches from mine, I stopped, my hand lingering on his neck. He was trying to read me, trying to pick up something in my mood or expression that could help him figure out what was on my mind. I smiled at him._

"_Zachary Goode," I said, not sure what I wanted my tone to imply. I sighed with a half-chuckle. "You are such a complex puzzle for me—for both the spy and the girl in me. Brains, brawns, and just a mystery."_

_And when he smiled his sincere, loving, tender, passionate smile, I practically melted. "But we like complex puzzles right?" He whispered, smirking. I wonder if he were referring to what I said about the spy and girl in me when he had said 'we,' or if he was just trying to be seductive and flirty._

_I smiled back, matching his tone. "We absolutely love complex puzzles."_

_We smiled at each other. We were simply happy to be this close with each other again._

_But I reminded myself that simply happy wasn't enough—if I was going to be with Zach, I was going all the way: eternal happiness._

"_And I'd love to spend the rest of eternity trying to solve you, to keep up with you, to be with you," I continued. He looked a surprised, probably guessing (or hoping) for what I was going to say next._

_I drew in a breath. "Zach, when I was dying"—he flinched at this—"you told me that you loved me and needed me. You were demanding and pleading that I fight to stay alive and to stay with you. But now it's time for my revelation. Zachary Goode, I am completely and totally in love with you. I need you more than you will ever, ever know."_

_It grew silent, and he sort of stared blankly at me for a few moments. For a second, I was beginning to think that I was wrong about Zach reciprocating these feelings I had for him._

_But any doubt I had instantly disappeared when our lips met. He kissed me so passionately, lustfully, and fiercely, though the kiss was chaste, tender, and loving. His hands cupped my face as he stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, never breaking our kiss. Because it would do more pain than good if I moved forward myself, I used my hand to push his head closer, deepening the kiss. Eventually, both of my arms were wrapped around his neck and kept the two of us close, even as we reluctantly broke the kiss. We were both panting, trying to catch our breath._

"_That can't possibly be some sort of offer, now would it, Gallagher Girl?" he asked when he caught his breath._

_I laughed at the name, and then smiled. "Maybe, Blackthorne Boy," I teased._

"_Very well then," he said and he straightened up, pulling a small black box from his pocket._

_My heart raced. I could barely breathe correctly._

_Was he _always_ a step ahead?_

"_When did you—?" I managed to gasp out._

_He laughed and smiled, sitting himself close to me on the bed. "Let's just say, long before any of this all happened, I had already made up my mind," he confessed._

_I gasped. "Zach…"_

"_I was close during the actual attack for two reasons—to protect you. Even if I were ill or had broken bones or anything, I would stand and fight for you and be there for you." My eyes watered, and I blinked to keep them from spilling. "The second reason, was because I went to speak with your mom."_

_My eyes widened._

"_It didn't take much to convince her. Mr. Solomon and your Aunt Abby were there at the time as well and if I were to get all three of them to approve, there would be no stopping me. Even if they denied me, I would still do it. Obviously, they were expecting it of me and just wondering how long it would take. Mr. Solomon and Abby approved. They said that even though we were just in our twenties, marrying young when you have a life like ours is one of the best options…" He grew quiet. "…because the future is never certain. You never know how long you'll live."_

"_Oh Zach," I whispered, unable to fight the tears that rolled down my face._

_He smiled at me, remaining focused and determined._

_He got off the bed and down one knee, holding out the open box towards me. The ring was gorgeous and it looked expensive._

"_The ring was my mother's engagement ring," he explained once he noticed my expression._

_I nodded._

"_You, too, are a complex puzzle to me," he said softly. "And I would love to spend the rest of my live trying to solve you and trying to keep up with you. I can no longer to bear being apart from you knowing that you're not mine and unsure if you returned my deepest feelings. Through the struggles of my life, I was beginning to lose hope. But when I met you, I saw the face of a beautiful angel. If you could be all mine, that would truly be heaven."_

_I braced myself. _

"_So, Cameron Ann Morgan, will you marry me?"_

_There was a lump in my throat, and it took all I could muster to whisper, "Of course!"_

_And his lips met mine, the ring sliding into place on my left hand._

* * *

**A Few Months Later**

**Cammie's POV**

"But wait," Liz interrupted our intense conversation about a possible attack. We were all at headquarters underneath Washington D.C. on our lunch break. The eight of us—me, Liz, Bex, Macey, Zach, Jonas, Grant, and Nick (Macey's fiancé who was a year older than us and had attended Blackthorne)—sat in the conference room. "Isn't that the day of your _wedding?_"

I blinked, double-checked the date, then my eyes flew to Zach, who had been sitting next to me and laughing with Jonas about something but was now dead silent.

"Holy crap, it _is!_" Bex exclaimed as she leaned closer to Liz's laptop screen.

"Cammie, why don't you—" Liz began to say.

But I interrupted. "I'm _not_ going to ask to be excused from a mission we've been preparing for about a month now!"

Liz went silent.

"It's not like you can move the wedding, though," Grant reminded.

That was true, too. We had moved the date of the wedding three times for the exact same reason—missions. It wasn't like Zach and I were in any rush to have the actual ceremony take place. Truth be told, I wanted to just runaway to Vegas and get the whole thing over with. I just wanted to be Mrs. Cammie Goode and to be lawfully wedded to him so it was official, though we _had_ been dating since high school. The rest didn't matter. I wasn't big on attention and fancy dresses, anyway.

But there were reasons why I was going through with an extravagant ceremony in an expensive church. One was because Liz, Bex, and Macey said they would take care of everything as long as I approved of it. They were my three best friends on the entire planet (well, my best girlfriends anyway—I considered Grant, Jonas, and Nick my best guy friends) and they seemed excited. The second reason was because Mom, Aunt Abby, and Mr. Solomon (who I now get to call my step-dad) reminded me that money wasn't an issue. People who worked in the secret services probably got two to three times amount of the income of a successful politician or lawyer. But the third, and most important reason, was Zach.

I knew the wedding—like, the actual ceremony and everything—meant a lot to him. His mother and father weren't officially married when he was born and, because the life of a spy is spontaneous and impossible to predict, they never officially married. That was the only deciding factor that made me agree to go through with everything in the first place.

Of course, Zach being Zach, he denied it. But I knew that if he was personally crushed because I didn't want a big wedding he wouldn't show it one bit. But _I'd_ be able to sense it, and the guilt would surely eat me alive. He kept reminded me that it's entirely my choice, which was wrong. A wedding involves two people.

But Zach wasn't arrogant. He didn't mind the fact that the wedding was delayed. Our duty is to our nation first. We were madly in love and the fact we weren't legally married would never change that.

"What's wrong with moving the wedding?" Nick asked, before Macey elbowed him.

Zach looked at me. "We _can_, you know."

I groaned. Zach had a bad habit of spoiling me but pretending not to. Just because we had _accepted_ the fact that duty comes first, it didn't mean that Zach liked the idea of having to delay the wedding even more. But he knew that I didn't exactly love the whole ceremony thing anyway, so he was oh-so flexible with everything.

"Zachary Goode you are _not_ doing this to me again," I declared.

"Doing what to you again?" he asked innocently.

I glared. "Spoiling me. You know, my feelings _aren't_ going to be hurt if I walk down an aisle in a white dress, you know."

He smirked that infamous smirk of his. "I don't spoil you, Gallagher Girl."

"Yes you do, Blackthorne Boy, and you know it."

"You guys are so weird," Bex laughed. "You're so madly in love with each other it's almost scary."

"Why don't you two just ask to be excused?" Liz offered.

Zach looked at me and I looked back.

Luckily we thought alike and the words coming from him made me feel way less guilty if they had come from me. "No, we couldn't, then there'd be no point," he reminded. "You guys are all part of the wedding and assigned to this mission. Besides, everyone we invited is in the organization and they wouldn't exactly be pleased if we declined."

That's when Macey beamed.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"We're _all_ going to make your wedding, Cam, because we're _all_ going to be there!" she exclaimed.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it," Macey continued. "People are coming for _you_, Cammie." Zach shifted and stiffened uncomfortably beside me. "And here we are about to go out as a single group of just eight to hide you. But if we go through with that wedding, that church will be _filled_ with elite, highly-trained, armed agents who look like harmless civilians attending a ceremony."

One by one, smiles started to form on everyone's faces—Liz, Bex, Grant, Jonas, Nick.

When I looked up at Zach, his hand was warm on the back of my neck and we kissed passionately.

He pulled back just a few inches so our faces were still close and whispered, "Ready to say 'I do,' Gallagher Girl?"

I smirked, and I knew everyone caught on a split second after I had. "I've _been_ ready, Blackthorne Boy."

A thought occurred to me: any normal person in the real world who _knew_ people were out to get them would run for cover.

But then I realized my world wasn't part of the real world.

It's a spy world, after all.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry, this story was kind of pointless. But I had bought and finished the third book, _Don't' Judge a Girl by Her Cover_, a few days ago and I just had to write something! I loved the third book, but I was only slightly disappointed there weren't many Zach/Cammie moments…**


End file.
